Well, David: What now? Sri Lanka?

In his column in Kaieteur News on Sunday, Dr. David Hinds claimed, “The WPA, of which I am a part, is still committed to power-sharing as a political solution to our problems. That logic drove us into a difficult alliance with the PNC and later with the AFC. …. But the failure of the Coalition to live up to that expectation is most disappointing. … Further, from an ethnic standpoint, constitutional reform of governance could assure African Guyanese some insurance against institutional marginalisation from power. That their political leaders don’t see that simple dynamic speaks to a political backwardness that has always baffled me.”

I wholeheartedly agree with David, for only last week this column concluded, “During the 2015 elections, the coalition – particularly the PNC and WPA – gave the impression that it understood Guyana’s constitutional needs if democracy is to be maintained and the interests of all ethnic groups are to be secured. It promised to deal with this by way of constitutional reform and … shared governance. It has, however, reneged on this commitment (and) has placed the security of even its most ardent supporters at risk….”

Providing an insider’s perspective, Dr. Hinds also informed us that “we are not likely to get any serious constitutional reform of governance from this coalition unless the decision-making process is opened up to allow the interested forces within the coalition to meaningfully participate. I don’t see that happening … The current leadership of the government does not want the WPA and the progressive wing of the PNC anywhere near the real exercise of power.” ….